I can never drive my car over a bridge without thinking of suicide. I can never look at a lake or an ocean without thinking of suicide.
Charles BukowskiRead
You have to lay down in the center of the action lay down and wait until it charges then you must get up face it get it before it gets you the whole process is more shy than vulnerable so lay down and wait sometimes it's ten minutes sometimes it's years sometimes it never arrives but you can't rush it push it there's no way to cheat or get a jump on it you have to lay down lay down and wait like an animal .
Interpretation
What this quote means
Patience is essential in facing life's challenges; sometimes, we must wait for the right moment to act.
This quote by Charles Bukowski emphasizes the importance of patience and acceptance in confronting life's challenges. It suggests that instead of forcing actions or rushing into situations, one should be willing to lay low and wait for the right opportunities to emerge, as these moments can take time to arrive. The metaphor of 'laying down like an animal' symbolizes a natural and instinctive approach to dealing with uncertainty, acknowledging that there are limits to how much we can control the timing of events in our lives.
Themes
PatienceTimingAcceptanceWaitingAction
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about overcoming obstacles, one might use this quote to highlight the need for patience in achieving goals.
More from Charles Bukowski
All quotes →when I am feeling low all i have to do is watch my cats and my courage returns
Charles BukowskiRead
The masses are always wrong...Wisdom is doing everything the crowd does not do. All you do is reverse the totality of their learning and you have the heaven they're looking for.
Charles BukowskiRead
I'm going to open another vottle. not a vottle, but a bottle. you open it and I'll drink it. and you try to write as much as I did without falling off of your chair.
Charles BukowskiRead
To experience real agony is something hard to write about, impossible to understand while it grips you; you're frightened out of your wits, can’t sit still, move, or even go decently insane.
Charles BukowskiRead
I lapsed into my pathetic cut-off period. Often with humans, both good and bad, my senses simply shut off, they get tired, I give up. I am polite. I nod. I pretend to understand because I don’t want anybody to be hurt. That is the one weakness that has lead me into the most trouble. Trying to be kind to others I often get my soul shredded into a kind of spiritual pasta. No matter. My brain shuts off. I listen. I respond. And they are too dumb to know that I am not there.
Charles BukowskiRead
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